The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of Washington, D.C.. As such, it is analogous to the city councils of other cities in the United States, but in some manners it is also analogous to state legislatures.
The council is composed of 13 members, each elected by D.C. residents to a four-year term. The members include one from each of D.C.'s eight wards, as well as five members at-large. One of these at-large members is elected by D.C. residents as the chairperson of the Council.
The council was created by the passage of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act by U.S. Congress in 1973. This act gave D.C. residents the right to elect a local government with limited authority subject to the approval of Congress, and was an important achievement of the effort for District of Columbia home rule. Previously, D.C. had been governed directly by Congress through the Committees on the District of Columbia.
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